Iraq has repeated its call for an end to the US military presence following a US drone strike in Baghdad that killed a senior member of Kataib Hezbollah, a Shia militia that’s part of Iraq’s security forces.
Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool said the US “conducted a blatant assassination through an airstrike in the heart of a residential neighborhood in the capital, Baghdad, showing no regard for civilian lives or international laws.”
Rasool said that by launching the strike, “the American forces jeopardize civil peace, violate Iraqi sovereignty, and disregard the safety and lives of our citizens.”
The US-led international coalition based in Iraq is supposedly in the country to fight ISIS, but the presence is more about trying to counter Iran’s influence. Rasool said the “coalition consistently deviates from the reasons and objectives for its presence on our territory.”
The US claimed the Kataib Hezbollah commander they targeted was responsible for attacks on US troops. Since mid-October, US troops bases in Iraq and Syria have come under attack over 160 times in response to President Biden’s support for the Israeli slaughter in Gaza.
A January 28 drone attack that killed three US troops in Jordan led to the US launching heavy airstrikes in Iraq and Syria last Friday that killed around 40 people.
The Iraqi government has been opposed to all recent US airstrikes in the country and has been calling for an end to the US presence for months now. Rasool said the latest drone strike “compels the Iraqi government more than ever to terminate the mission of this coalition, which has become a factor for instability.”
The US and Iraq started talks on the future of the US presence at the end of January. But for now, the US appears determined to stay despite the risk of the situation escalating into a full-blown war.
In January 2020, Iraq’s parliament voted unanimously to expel US troops in the wake of the US drone strike that killed Iranian Quds Force Gen. Qasem Soleimani and PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. But the US refused to leave and has significant economic leverage over Iraq, making it difficult for an Iraqi prime minister to kick US troops out.
In January 2020, Iraq’s parliament voted unanimously to expel US troops
And that was the fifth or sixth time that the Iraqi parliament had voted to request the US leave.
“request”
they actually have to request that uncle sam hit the road.
“please sir, please leave us alone …”
hey once upon a time Dick Cheney actually said re: Iraq =
“it’s about the oil stupid!” as if we are all dummies.
well we are a bunch of dummies because it is in fact “all about that oil”.
except it is not what we are led to believe.
uncle sam is not “getting that oil” from the middle east,…
because the reality is that the US is now the largest exporter of oil on the entire planet. wait, what ? oh shit we don’t actually need any more oil here in the US.
the reality is that uncle sam is preventing other oil producing countries (Iran) from selling their oil for less $$ than uncle sam charges.
that is the New American Century that we are bowing down to.
what
Brian Bixby, i am sorry that i hi-jacked your comment just to promote my own comment.
edit) = i am an A-hole but at least i can admit that i am an A-hole.
Disc
I knew it! I knew it since I saw your profile handle. You’re an example for a big one! When I grow up, I want to be exactly like you but I know I’m not as perfect at it as you are! I’m your fan!
what are you doing still here? damnit remember when i said that i would find you? GRRR, i have a telephone book and a magnify glass and a bottle of vodka and an electric guitar that still has 5 out of 6 strings on it all at my disposal – all of which i am casting a freakin Harry Potter magic spell on just so that i can find you and get you! (a beer).
edit) = i said something else that i immediately regretted so i erased it just as fast.
S
After all the trouble, you just want to buy me a beer? Why not share some of that Vodka? …It’s only for girlfriends? …Liquor is quicker? …Man, that is a Spy move! You’re a Smooth Operator, Spy! https://youtu.be/C0sr0ZnUc7I?si=MMACcL3OBwzI1OrT
that is one of my favorite songs
Remember what the original name of the US invasion of Iraq was?
Operation
Iraqi
Liberation
O.I.L. Possibly the most blatant acronym in history. Of course they had to rename it rather quickly, but the fact that they did it at all was rather dispiriting. They don’t even really CARE that you and I know what they’re doing, as long as the captive press can convince the unwashed masses it’s something else.
The U.S. was granted fewer oil concessions than other countries that were not involved in Iraq’s destruction..
I knew there was and is a reason for us still to be in the ME. It certainly is not to help the citizens of whatever country live better more prosperous lives. It looks to me just another feature of Rapacious Capitalism making MEGA profits from other peoples pain and suffering. How American.
Your explanation for the US bases doesn’t hold, because Iran has no interest in cut-throat price war any more than the other OPEC members.
“request”
they actually have to request that uncle sam hit the road.
“please sir, please leave us alone …”
hey once upon a time Dick Cheney actually said re: Iraq =
“it’s about the oil stupid!” as if we are all dummies.
well we are a bunch of dummies because it is in fact “all about that oil”.
except it is not what we are led to believe.
uncle sam is not “getting that oil” from the middle east,…
because the reality is that the US is now the largest exporter of oil on the entire planet. wait, what ? oh shit we don’t actually need any more oil here in the US.
the reality is that uncle sam is preventing other oil producing countries (Iran) from selling their oil for less $$ than uncle sam charges.
that is the New American Century that we are bowing down to.
what
Brian Bixby, i am sorry that i hi-jacked your comment just to promote my own comment.
edit) = i am an asshole but at least i can admit that i am an asshole.
You and what Iraqi Army going to do any thing about it?
The US fought that war, and the US lost that war.
The US withdrawal was part of the peace deal. Of course, the US lied.
So now, do we want to resume the war we lost? Is that really what we want to do?
Yes. It’s like we live in a piped dream with one way valve, always going to war. We are so distracted and stupid, we don’t really care what our government is doing. We don’t know right from wrong. …What’s that? …We’ve always been?
If U.S. lost the war, they wouldn’t have the green zone as a safety net and lump missiles without any consequence. Iraqi army is toothless, they know it and U.S. knows it.
bitch knew 45 years ago that some shit was going to go down =
I know it’s a colloquialism, but I wouldn’t use that word re this lady … she’s one of the best, ever …
she is indeed the very best ever. i met her once when i was young –
she said “how’s it going son”
i was devastated that she thought me to be a child until i realized that i was only 20 years old and i was indeed just a child. i had about a dozen whiskers.
i met Iggy Pop once and the son of bitch actually spit on me as he was charging away into his limousine. it took me a long time of wondering which part was “punk”, the spit or the limousine? before i realized that a punk is a punk is a punk.
what
edit) = couple more years and i will qualify as old man status
So your childhood drama has made you use foul language on a regular basis…?!
how about you, are you an old man yet?
i have come to realize that old man is as old man does.
what
I’m 80 and so immune from many constraints.
My father was a sailor and taught me the rudimentary elements of colorful language. He was a master.
Carry on.
my mama is a couple of 5 or so years older than you.
she keeps telling me to “watch your mouth son”
evidently she thinks that my daddy would not appreciate my foul language even from beyond his grave.
oh shit now i have done it; my dad is going to try to smite me from beyond the great beyond – oh shit!
what
hey thanx old guy
You consider that “foul language”. Holy fuck. 😉
You exchanged body fluid with Iggy Pop? …Thanks for sharing. $hit happens! LOL
no, the sum-bitch thought he was elevated onto some plane way above the rest of us fan-boys & girls. whatever body-fluids that he thought were superior to our childish fluids only served to piss the lot of us Gen-X dudes off until we realized that absolutely nobody would ever put us in our place. ever. check this out = Ted freakin Nugent thought that he was the boss of us. oops, nope!. 15 years later Eddie Van-Halen thought that he was the boss of us, oops, nope!
15 more years later Bush jr. thought that he was the authoritarian of the year, oops, nope!
at some point America will realize that my generation is done with fucking around.
what
Wut 😂
hey thank you sir or madam … i have one friend here and that person is you …
Amen, brother. You are among friends, with the exception of those pests peddling Deep$hit $tate prowar propaganda. By the way, I’m no “madam.” I’m your standard issue dirty old man they used to make a long time ago. Like your old uncle who everybody cringes when he tries to say something at the dinner table with his ear and nose hairs. …I’M THAT GUY.
😂
100% agreed…! She and Pat Benatar are legends…!
Agreed.
Iraq craves U.S. leadership (sarcasm)
Yup, same way merchants in Mafia areas used to “crave” protection …
Kick the yanks out and get China / Russia in.
Good idea but easier said then done.
Iraq is like (West) Germany, but this time the USA is there to keep themselves in, the Persians out, and the Iraqis down.
The USA is “bringing peace, freedom and democracy” to all corners of the world- we are reminded constantly of – yet the reality is just the opposite! Look no further than all the nations that the USA has its chops on! The people do NOT want USA military presence in their land but a small elite group of people in those nations (traitors) do the bidding of Americans at the expense of their own people! Then it goes and supports a killing machine named Israel and starts to attack any nation with the decency to protest Israel’s OBVIOUS genocidal practices in Gaza!
How many Iraq’s, Houthis have entered the USA via the wide open southern border? Thank Joe Biden for the next terror attack, rial accident, refinery explosion, etc.
As long as terrorists don’t attack Delaware Biden is not worried.
What one does call the unlawful military occupation of a sovereign country by a foreign power? Imperialism, pure and simple.
The discipline of the MSM airheads reporting on these issues is amazing. Here’s an ostensible friend of the US begging us to leave them alone and … crickets.
And everything we do is in “retaliation” … of course.
everybody else is the bad guy
ostensible OMG you should run for office and i would vote for you just for that one word alone
edit) = you could just say it over and over with your fist in the air =
“hey sir, what is your foreign policy?”
ostensible!
“how about the border?”
ostensible!
that is the freakin word of the day
Can you just imagine the “negotiations” for US withdrawal?
The US is non-stop threatening to destroy Iraq with sanctions a’la Iran.
If US gets kicked out it will be the final chapter in what is a total failure.
Iraq will join Iran and BRICS
Even some countries in Europe are wising up. Pretty soon it will be the whole world against the US and Israel.
We put the word “gun” in negotiating with “a gun to your head.”
Not just Iraq… If US military is forced to leave Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, and possibly Bahrain; all of them will apply and be queued to join BRICS…! All those Arab countries are already tired of US…!
We have to keep troops there to guard Exxon’s oil.
Meyer you son of bitch nailed it right on the head.
it is all about that oil even though the US is the absolute master of the price of oil at the beginning of the day every single day.
i did say “even though” when i should have said “especially”.
at some point peaceniks will just roll over and everybody who does not roll over will be designated a “terrorist”.
what
Iraq can officially request the US to leave. If they haven’t done it yet, it’s because they want to US to stay there for security reasons.
They know what US sanctions can do to their civilian population and their economy. Try to keep up.
America, the gift that keeps on giving.